IBIA sees decline in suspicious betting alerts for Q3

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has reported a 30% year-on-year decline in suspicious betting alerts for the three months ended 30 September, 2019.

A total of 50 alerts were registered across six different sports, meaning the period was relatively level with the second quarter of this year when the IBIA processed 51 alerts, but significantly lower than Q3 2018, when 72 alerts were filed.

Tennis again generated the highest number of alerts during the period with a total of 30, which was 20% more than in Q2 but 40% lower than the prior year when 50 alerts were filed for the sport.

With 138 alerts generated for tennis in 2019 to date, this represents a 25% year-on-year decline in the 184 cases flagged by 30 September 2019. The IBIA put this down to a reduction in alerts at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Tour level.

Football ranked second with 15 alerts, ahead of basketball with two alerts, while beach volleyball, table tennis and horseracing all had one alert each.

Europe was responsible for the majority of alerts, with a total of 21 processed in Q3. Tennis accounted for 13 reports in Europe, with football second on six alerts, then horseracing and table tennis with one apiece.

Asia placed behind Europe with 18 alerts, eight of which were from tennis, seven from football, two in basketball and a single alert from beach volleyball.

South America had five alerts in Q3 – three from tennis and two from football – while North America’s four alerts all came from tennis. Two tennis alerts were also filed in Africa, both of which originated in Morocco.

Sports betting integrity monitoring body IBIA has been running under its current name since rebranding from ESSA in June. At the time, the organisation said the name aims to highlight the operator-funded body’s international focus and the role it plays in raising awareness of betting-related integrity issues worldwide.